Again, it depends on how well you use keywords and how much you bid for them. You can set your own price that you're willing to pay for each visitor who clicks on your ads. Let's get right down to business. These two giant search engines have long been the dominant players in the PPC genre. Through PPC, small businesses can now be on a level playing field. Also, do a bit of research into the demographics for each search engine. The odds are great that a potential customer will be on at least one of these two major search engines. Being aware of the type of service or products you offer, and then placing the appropriate ads where they will be exposed to the relevant audience will do wonders. First of all, it means that you don't have to pay search engines for placing or running your ads. You can also pre-qualify your customers by the keywords and phrases you choose. Well then, PPC ads can easily be placed to target users located in the specific areas I want. But I think it would be better if I also give you some warning, before you jump right in and get in way over your head. It's a safe bet you already know about Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing. Of course, others have started getting into the bandwagon, like MSN, Ask Jeeves, and Miva. For example, if I want to market my old tie-dyed shirts to the whole USA, I simply place an ad in Yahoo! or Google. Start small. But maybe I don't want someone in Montana to know about my tie-dyed shirts. You can acquire these services at prices that will accommodate any budget. There are many benefits and advantages to PPC ads that a serious businessman simply cannot ignore. This way, you can spend your time learning how to improve, rather than trying to familiarize yourself with the three or four engines you've signed up with. So you definitely need to learn where to begin your PPC campaign. You need to know how to set your budget, use landing pages, and the pros and cons of long-term and short-term PPC campaigns. The only way to avoid these pitfalls is through careful and thorough research. Yahoo! and AOL tend to have more visitors from the 40 to 50+ crowd, while Google Polyester yarns for weaving seems to be more popular with younger Internet users. Yes, small businesses - even big companies, for that matter - need Pay Per Click advertising, whether as a stand-alone campaign or in combination with link building, SEO, and/or affiliate marketing. . You see, it's not uncommon to hear about small businesses spending hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, without any new customers to show for it. For example, your ads can be placed below or above that of a well-known corporation or a national chain. And as mentioned above, you're the one setting up your budget for advertising. It all depends on what kind of sales or leads you'd like to have and how much you're willing to spend. As I said, it will take some research, but it'll be worth it. With all the attention that SEO, link building, and affiliate programs have been getting, it's relatively easy to overlook another efficient and cost-effective method of marketing for the Internet - Pay Per Click advertising. Select just one search engine and stick with it until you master the concept of PPC advertising, or at least until you get the hang of things. Pay Per Click (PPC) will give you more control, flexibility, exposure, and coverage than using other online listing services. Experts agree that these are the most powerful and most effective ways to market your website and your products. There are several good websites that can provide you with all the knowledge you might need, and then some. You only pay for the users who actually click on the ads. Perhaps I just want to sell to someone within a couple hundred miles from where I am.Internet advertising nowadays seems to be focused in three major areas - affiliate marketing, link building, and SEO. Interested? I'm glad you are. As with many other business ventures, however, it pays to study your market first before launching any type of advertising or promotional campaign. Another thing you need to know is where to place your Pay Per Click advertisements. PPC also allows the online businessman to choose whether he wants national (or even worldwide) exposure, or just localized promotions. Businesses of all sizes can greatly benefit from using Pay Per Click. And you only pay for interested customers who actually click through to your business. They utilize a combination of techniques that range from redesigning your website's code to building a vast network of outsiders to promote and sell your products for you. Because of these advantages and more, Pay Per Click has taken the world of e-commerce by storm. Not to overwhelm you, but there are literally hundreds of Pay Per Click engines on the Web. Done properly, PPC advertisements will go a long way towards increasing your site's traffic and your profits. In short, Pay Per Click ads allow you to focus on a specific, target audience.